Starring:
Date: October 9, 2013
Summary:
On her way back home, Chitose finds a suspicious couple. She identifies one of them as a Suna missing-nin, and combat ensues!
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"A person broken"
On the shortest route between Kiri and Suna
Evening. On her way from her assignment in Kirigakure, Chitose's been walking for most of the day, and it's becoming a good time to set up camp. Her path takes her through mountainous, rocky terrain, over along a deep gorge. The sheer cliffs at both sides are covered in sparse shrubs and plants. A river roars over the bottom, a few dozen feet below Chitose's feet, filling the air with mositure, making it thick and full of pink motes, dyed by the setting sun. High, on top of the cliffs, there are some short, hardy trees… but besides them, there's something else: a thin plume of smoke, rising from the bowels of a small chasm joining the one she's in from the side.
And that is something that Chitose approaches. She moves along toward that plume with a far more direct path than most would take. Some might walk around or have to find a way along the odd terrain. For someone with a shinobi's talents, the path is easier. For someone like Chitose…the path is perfectly simple. She whips her arms out to grab hold of hand hold points and yank herself along to even keep herself at high points and moving along till she nears to the plume of smoke and starts approaching more cautiously, peering at her target as she slips along quietly to see who or what it is that has created this smoke.
Chitose swings across the chasm quickly, and finds a small campfire, with two figures huddled around it. Her experience in travelling shows her that the fire has been kept minimal, and deep in the gorge so the plume wouldn't be so thick by the time it reaches the lip of the cliff. If she hadn't been so nearby, she would've missed it entirely. When she approaches, one of the figures, huddled in a beige-coloured cloth, shifts, turns around and throws an alarmed look at her. It's a man: in his early 20s, scruffy and malnourished-looking. His eyes shoot over her, and he mumbles something, barely audible even near him, and entirely inaudible where Chitose is. The other person, a platina blonde young woman in a thick black cloak, also looks up. She seems to share his alarm at first but then, after also mumbling something, forces out a friendly smile at the traveller.
"Hello." Chitose states simply enough as she looks at the pair and then looks at the woman in the black cloak more closely before saying, "What are you doing out here so far from the normally travelled paths with a fire that is purposefully kept small in order to not be seen." She has been travelling since she was 5 years old. Sh e knows how to survive and knows that normal people couldn't find this spot easily nor would a normal person, trying to just avoid robbers or predators would go to such great lengths. She tilts her head, "I myself am travelling home…what takes you two so far out of the way?"
The two of them exchange a quick glance, then, as if by command, look at their fire. The man gets up and takes a few steps away - that's as far as the narrow path allows him to. The woman answers, "We're a bit lost." she admits, finally. "We were going to a village in the Land of Water, but we got lost on the way there. And this place seemed well-hidden from, eh, brigands, and attackers, maybe the rain if it's going to rain, not to mention the wind. Neither of has much experience with this so we didn't want the fire blown out." Plausible… but is it -convincing-?
"Sure." Chitose states in th e same monotone manner that she is known for. She walks up and sits down by the fire as if it were not such a big thing to do so. She then looks from one to the other, "To a village in the land of water, huh?" She peers from one to the other again, "And why a village in the land of water? And how did you get here?" She hmms again as she peers at the pair, "After all, it'd be hard for a regular traveller to make it this far." She then looks at the fire again, poking at it.
Another brief silence - barely noticeable to the common person, volumes of information to someone with a lifetime of experience dealing with spies, liars and politicians, sometimes all in one. "We tagged along with a caravan so far, and we figured we could split off and make it on our own. Say. How far are we from the nearest major road?" In the meantime, the man paces back and forth a bit, usually with his back turned to Chitose. "In the direction you came from, that is." Another pause, and a bit hastilly she adds, "You're coming from the Land of Water, right?" indicating Chitose's forehead protector.
"I am." Chitose states very simply and points over her shoulder, "It's that way…directly that way." Which includes many cliffs and hard to pass by spots. She simply shrugs, "If you go that direction, you will find it eventually." She nods her head, "However, I travel cross country. Much quicker that way." She nods her head, "Efficiency in travel is one of the few things I've chosen to take from the mannerisms of the man who taught me."
The path he paces up and down becoming longer and longer with every passage, the man now disappears behind Chitose. The woman continues engaging her in conversation. "Ah, thank you. So, why are you- no, I'm sure you can't say. Confidentiality and all that." Her expression isn't very serious, a knowing smile on her face, but Chitose detects a hint of bitterness in her voice all the same. "How long before you're expecting to get home and report to your superiors?"
"Delivery." Chitose nods her head, "I was making a delivery for my family." She nods her head, "It's my purpose for my family." She then looks up, "And it'll be a few days." She then is up on her feet like a puppet pulled up on strings. Her left foot turningn to allow her body to face the man. SHe turns her gaze toward him slightly, "Why so nervous? Do you feel threatened by a Shinobi of the Land of Wind?"
"Ahh, I see." The woman continues smiling. The man, on the other hand, glares at her. Now that she sees him up close, he seems vaguely familiar. Like someone she's seen once or twice in passing, maybe. "No, I'm not." He snaps. "But I- I mean, I'm not nervous. Just… ehh… don't want to sit down on the ground for too long. It's cold and I don't do well with cold." The woman was somewhat convincing. This guy? Between talking through his teeth to her, and the unconvinced tone, he's about as believable as a sock puppet alter ego.
"Well, then how about we all walk?" Chitose hmms, "I'm not tired…I'm even possibly ready to go." She states even as she rolls a shoulder, "Don't you to want to go home?" She hmms at the man before glancing at the woman, "I know I do." She states, "Home to Sunagakure." She then idly flips a kunai into her hand and spins it idly, both a silent threat and yet it seems as if to her it is just a thing to spin a kunai, "So, are we ready to go home?"
"Actually, our home is the other way-" the woman starts, continuing her line. The man cuts in, angrily. "It is. Game's up, but she's right. My home hasn't been for a long time now. You've got a point, though. I advise you go back home. As you said, you're not tired, so why don't you take a hike? A long one." He steps back, reaching into his cloak. "And don't look back. That way all of us get to actually go home, and a little girl's family doesn't wonder where she went after her delivery. How about that? You go your way, we go ours."
"Oh…I see." A sigh and Chitose shakes her head, "I've got a secret…it's not so secret." She nods her head, "My name Yamauchi Chitose." She nods her head, "You might have heard of me. Most would know me for deliveries." She nod sher head, "Few know the real reason why Sunagakure values my presence." She states simply, "So, this can go two ways." She nods, "We go home, together and you face punishment." She nods her head, "Or I reveal my secret and kill you both." She looks at the man in the calmest manner, her eyes going cold, "What do you say? Wanna go home?"
"Ooooh, secrets." He snaps back. "They -love- their splintered secrets over there, don't they? And not just there. I bet you're really popular for yours." The yound woman sighs, getting up and dusting herself off. "Sunagakure could care less for me," she answers, "But you're not taking either of us anywhere. We'd still rather we go our separate ways, right?" The man nods. "Yes. But she's not going to give in. Are you, kid? She's either too blind to see that village for what it is, a bunch of self-righteous murderers, or she's one of them herself." The man draws a long obsidian sword from inside his cloak. "I'd rather not to use this. Walk -now-." The man's eyes are squarely on Chitose. Behind her, the woman's clothes ruffle. Her voice is still peaceful. "Please, just let us be. We mean you no harm." "Like snap we-" "We -don't-. Not if you don't."
"Well, then I guess you have chosen death." Chitose states and then shakes her head from side to side, "Cowards die cowards deaths and are left to rot in the desert." SHe looks around, "This isn't the desert but it will do." Chakra…pure and simple begins to pour out of her, "My secret…is I'm the eight tails." She looks at the woman and then at the man, "And I'm about to kill you and I won't need a blade to do it." She then stretches her right arm as tails begin to pour from her lower back and flow down over her, "I will give you the only honor you have left and the only thing you can do honorably for your village." Chitose looks at the man, "Death."
"It's the only thing I've ever gotten from the cracked place." He answers, slipping into a combat stance, the blade in front of him. His eyes smoulder with hatred. "It's the only thing Sunagakure knows - how to kill people. Indiscriminately. Without asking questions. Figures it'd be what you want - more pointless death." Behind Chitose, the woman makes an 'ulp'-ing sound as the transformation takes place and blanches. The man glances at her, and his voice grows weary, but determined. The blade's tip twitches in Chitose's direction slightly. "This… thing is probably going to send me after my family now, my dear. Sousa's got a new enforcer, it seems. I won't fault you for leaving." Feebly, the woman utters, "N-no… We're… We're in this to-together."
In a dual voice, one a deep rumbling voice of something that isn't even fully in this world and in her own voice, Chitose merely states, "Too bad." And then both arms come together before suddenly she steps in and sweeps her leg at the woman's legs before bring her hand high above her…way high. THe now dark chakra covered beastial arm stretches up quite high and then slams down with enough force to split stone right at the possibly tripped woman.
The woman begins forming hand seals, the spray around them coalescing into a wall - which is then promptly splashed apart by the Jinchuuriki's kick, sending her flying into a wall. As her leg comes down, the man dashes to intercept it, but is too slow, the arm striking her and driving her down into the rock with an "Ooomph!" Enraged, the man charges at Chitose. "I'm the one you want, you monster! She's not even -from- Suna!" His black blade draws two stygian planes in the air, rapidly, with passion, as he tried to force her away from the downed woman.
The cut hits Chitose, the second one that is. She's not devestated by it. The girl merely looks at the cut a moment and ten simply jumps up above the man and whips both arms straight back before sending them forward with a heave each right for the woman she has already downed, not even bothering to give the man the time of day. She's very straight forward, and very uncaring it seems for words at this point.
The woman tries to roll out of the way of the next strike, but she's barely moved when she's battered deeper into the ground. She doesn't even have the power to scream, just a wet, painful gasp. The next one barely causes a sound at all, save for the crunch of bone. The strikes are as quick as they are devastating, and although he moves to intercept them, he's just too slow. The man turns to Chitose, blade drawn, and moves to attack her again "You! Stay away from her, you- you'll k-" then looks back, and as her turns to Chitose, she sees that she's broken his spirit as much as she's broken her body. He hangs his head. "I'll - I'll come. Please, don't… Please let her live. She's… she's not even from the Land of the Wind. She's done nothing to you. Please. Not her too." His voice cracks, and he drops to a knee. "P-please?"
Stopping and staring, Chitose stands up straight, the eight tails moving around her like some kind of odd dress, whipping around her chakra covered legs. She stares for a long moment before she raises a hand and breathes in sharply before letting it out and the chakra fades from her. She stares at the woman she has devestated for a moment before saying, "Pick her up…and move." She nods her head, "She will die if we do not get her medical attention immediately." She nods, "It is 2 and a half days from here to Sunagakure if we stop and rest. If we move straight through, we will be there by tomorrow night." She nods her head, "I don't need rest." THe cut he put into her shoulder simply seems to seal up with but some focus. Then Chitoe points, "Get her and move now…if for even a moment I sense you are not following instructions I will kill her and bury you alive beside her so that you might spend your last moments contemplating your mistakes." She then awaits, "And you will be going straight to Sousa and Kuoroke…they may yet decide to kill you anyway."
The man offers his sword to Chitose. Upon closer inspection, it's masterfully crafted, out of a monolithic piece of obsidian, inlaid with ebony and small white wood accents. The blade is sharper than any metal can accomplish. He kneels down and pick the woman up, carefully. -Very- carefully. Reverently. She barely moans. "Just - not too fast. I'm not sure she'll make it if I have to run. Once we make it to a medic…" he sighs, and shrugs. "It doesn't matter, does it? Your village's already taken everything -everyone- from me. Of course they'll kill me, I've done them more harm than anyone they've already killed. But it doesn't matter." He smiles slightly, sadly. "Let's just get her to a doctor." Gently, the man places his lips on her bruised forehead. "There's some money in that bag. I'll need it to pay the doctor." He starts walking, as quickly as he can without causing her more pain.
With her arm extended out, sh e whips it out and grabs the bag before whipping it to her side and starts after him. Sh e has his sword over her other shoulder and she nods onward, "One who sees only from his own direction sees only what he wishes to see." Chitose nods her head, "There is no greener grass on teh other side. THere is no village without its secrets and without death." She stares at him, "Move at a brisk pace. Running isn't necessary to get us there in time…but I will not tolerate tardiness." She nods her head, "You are already someone whom I wish to see dead." She nods her head, "If not for the fact that you stood down and if not for the fact that she was someone you drug into your problems…I would have your head at my hip and not your bag."
"You know all I wanted wa-" A small sigh. "I don't think I can convince you otherwise. I won't bother. When we get her to a medic-nin, I don't care what you do with me. If my head would slow you down less, I won't stop you." Defeated, the Suna missing-nin follows her, briskly but carefully.
